Pokémon: The Curse of Darkness
by SaffronandSaffy
Summary: On Johto's only ranch lives a girl named Saffron and her Umbreon Ravardin. Ravardin was born with a strange and deadly curse which terrifies anyone who witnesses it. Can Saffron and Ravardin learn to control it before it starts to control them?
1. Introduction

**Pokémon: The Curse of Darkness **_by SaffronandSaffy_

The Windflower family, Windflower ranch, Katherine/Kit, Elliot and all Pokémon that are owned by previously mentioned original characters belong to _SaffronandSaffy_.

All other locations and characters belong to Pokémon and its rightful creator.

All artwork pertaining to "Pokémon: The Curse of Darkness" can be found on _SaffronandSaffy_'s deviantART account. A link to her account can be found on her profile.

Enjoy.


	2. Chapter One: Windflower Ranch

Chapter One: Windflower Ranch

The girl stretched out her arms as she awoke from her lovely, deep sleep.

_What time is it?_ One of her steel-blue eyes shot open and searched her bedroom for her clock. She soon found her Gengar clock atop her wooden desk, its purple belly showing that it was nine o'clock in the morning.

_Good. I didn't sleep in._

The girl stretched her body out over her comfortable sheets one last time and then swung her bare legs over the side of the bed.

_I wonder if today will be the same as every other day..._ The girl stared down hard at her hardwood floor. Even though she loved this place with all her heart, she could not stand how all the days seemed to blur together into one big routine.

"Saffron!" a voice called from behind her bedroom door.

"Yes, Mom?" The girl grabbed her bed sheets and quickly covered her exposed thighs. The door opened and her mother stepped into the room.

"Good morning, darling." Her mother walked across the room to the windows and opened them slightly. A clean breeze swept into the room and flew into Saffron's lungs, clearing her mind of any troubles or bad thoughts. "There's nothing like the morning's air."

"Yes there is." Saffron rubbed her face to remove any sleep from her eyes. "What about the night's air? That's also refreshing and... delightful."

Her mother turned to her with hands placed on her thin hips.

"Why is it that you have such a fondness for the dark?"

Saffron blinked.

"I wasn't really saying that I prefer the night. I was just implying that it is just as good."

"I see," her mother sighed as she ran her hand through her own long, sapphire-blue hair. "Anyway, did you and Saffy have a good sleep?"

"Saffy?" Saffron stared at her mother. Silence filled the air between them until her sleepy mind finally clicked and she realized what her mother had said. "Saffy!" Saffron whipped herself around and began to tear the sheets off of her bed.

_Oh no! Please tell me I did not sleep on top of her!_ Saffron frantically ran her hands all over her mattress while her mother watched with a slightly amused expression on her pale face. Saffron lifted her pillow up and discovered a snoring, pink lump underneath it. Saffron poked at it and it briefly twitched.

"Saffy?" Saffron spoke softly to it.

It twitched again and a head rose up out of the lump.

"Flaaffy..." It looked at Saffron with drowsy eyes. Saffron took the Flaaffy into her hands and set it on her lap.

"Thank goodness! I didn't sleep on you!" Saffron laughed with relief and lightly petted the Flaaffy's woolly head. Saffy snuggled into Saffron's hand and seemed to laugh along with her.

"What am I going to do with you two?" Saffron's mother murmured with crossed arms. Saffron and Saffy looked at her with clueless and innocent faces. Her mother smiled. "You should get dressed; we open in an hour. Ravardin's already up as well."

"All right, Mom."

"Flaaffy!"

Saffron's mother giggled softly before leaving out the door, her light-blue sundress flittering behind her.

"I was starting to wonder where Ravardin was. I knew he slept with us last night." Saffron turned her attention back to Saffy, who nodded in reply.

"Flaaffy."

Saffron smiled. She loved it when Saffy spoke to her. Instead of understanding her words Saffron understood the tone and feelings behind Flaaffy's voice. She never had to guess what Saffy was saying.

Saffron set the Flaaffy beside her and slipped off her elevated bed.

"What should I wear today, Saffy?" She crouched down to the drawers that made up the frame of her bed. "A dress?"

"Flaaffy!" Saffy nodded her head up and down with great enthusiasm.

"You're more of a girl than I am. If I had it my way, I'd be in shorts and a t-shirt," Saffron joked as she opened a middle drawer and pulled out two dresses. "Blue or pink?"

Saffy stared thoughtfully at the two dresses. She examined one and then the other.

"Flaaffy." Saffy pointed to the pink and white plaid dress in Saffron's right hand.

Saffron eyed it warily.

"You sure?"

"Flaaff." Saffy smiled and nodded again.

"Okay, but I'm only wearing pink for you," Saffron huffed and put away the blue dress. Saffy let out a giggling sound and flailed her arms with joy.

Saffron turned to the tall mirror that leaned against the wall next to her bed. She observed the pale yellow t-shirt that she usually slept in and the black panties that she had on. Her eyes were still a little puffy and her hair was a dirty-blonde mess.

"Wow. I look worse than a Jynx in the morning." She reached up and tried to comb out her hair with her fingers, but it was a failed attempt and Saffron gave up. She pulled off the clothing she slept in, not caring that Saffy was there, and slipped on the pink dress.

"Well? How do I look?" Saffron directed at Saffy and spun around so that her dress elegantly floated around her. Saffy covered her mouth with her hands.

"What?" Saffron asked, confused.

Saffy started to faintly shake as muffled sounds came from her mouth. Saffron stared at her, wondering what was wrong, when Saffy started to laugh suddenly.

"Hey!" Saffron snapped. "Are you laughing at my hair?" Saffy managed to nod amongst her laughing fit.

Saffron almost felt offended but she did admit that her hair looked awfully ridiculous. She let it go and left the room. A few seconds later she came back with brush in hand and Saffy was still laughing.

"All right, you fluffball. It's not that funny," Saffron said as she turned back to the mirror and commenced untangling her disastrous hair. Saffy's laughter turned into light giggles and then into a wide smile. Saffron fixed the rest of the knots in her hair and then tied a bit of her now neat hair into a ponytail while the rest of it fell below her shoulders.

"Done laughing?"

Saffy nodded happily and attempted to slide off the high bed by holding onto the bed sheets as if they were rope.

"You're going to eventually hurt yourself by doing that," Saffron scolded and caught Saffy safely in her arms.

"Flaaffy!" Saffy replied, not seeming to care; she thought it was fun.

Saffron let out an irritated sigh and set Saffy on the floor.

"Let's go eat breakfast." Saffron watched as Saffy left the room first and then closed the door behind them.

Luckily it was a short walk down the hallway from Saffron's bedroom to the kitchen; Saffron had not noticed until she smelt the delicious scent of apple pancakes wafting through the air that she was very hungry. And apparently so was Saffy. Once she caught the smell of food she bolted down the hallway and into the fragrant kitchen.

"Mm, Mom. Those smell delicious!" Saffron spoke excitedly.

"Of course they do! You've loved these ever since you were little," her mother replied with a laugh.

"It's your fault for making them so good, Sapphire," a man said from behind a Pokémon breeding magazine at the round kitchen table.

"Oh, quit making me blush, Seth." Saffron's mother giggled and flipped over the sizzling pancakes in the frying pan.

"Quit it, guys. It's too early in the morning to watch my parents flirt with each other." Saffron sat down beside her father at the table.

"We can't help still being in love after seventeen years of marriage." Her father looked at his wife with dreamy, grey eyes and she returned his loving gaze.

"Ew." Saffron averted her eyes from the gooey scene to Saffy, who was gladly chowing down on some Pokémon food out of her green, plastic bowl on the floor. But something was missing. "Where's Ravardin?"

"He should be around here somewhere," her father replied as he turned his gaze to the living room that was connected to the kitchen.

"Ravardin!" Saffron called out.

A black head poked out silently from behind a navy-blue couch in the living room.

"There you are, Ravardin!" Saffron got out of her chair and kneeled on the floor with arms open wide.

An Umbreon dashed from behind the sofa and ran into Saffron's arms.

"Good morning to you too!" She kissed the Umbreon on the forehead and stroked his back with affection. "Your markings look extra blue today."

"I think he's happy about the sunny weather," her mother stated. "Now, come and eat." She placed a large plate of pancakes in the middle of the table.

"Did you already eat?" Saffron asked Ravardin.

"Umbreon," Ravardin barked softly, his yellow and black eyes burning with adoration.

"Good. I'd have to hurt Dad if he didn't feed you again." Saffron threw her father a look.

"I'm sorry! It was only one time that I forgot!" He stuck his face farther into his magazine so that only his spiky, dark-blue hair showed.

"It's okay. I just won't leave Ravardin in your care when I go on trips to Pallet Town anymore." Saffron returned to her seat.

"I still don't understand how you can look after hundreds of Pokémon every day, but you can't remember to feed one of Saff's," her mother teased him while she sat in her own chair and waited for Saffron to finish filling her plate with pancakes.

"It was one time!" Saffron's father exclaimed. Sapphire and Saffron laughed together almost identically. Saffy looked up at the table, wondering what her trainer was laughing about. She had been too busy tasting her food to pay attention.

* * *

After the food was gone and the dishes were washed, Saffron and her Pokémon went outside as her parents locked up the house.

"Wow. It is sunny outside." Saffron gazed up at the sky and took in the sight of the beautiful, cloudless sky.

Saffy tapped Ravardin on the foreleg.

"Flaaffy?"

Ravardin grinned at her and crouched lower to the ground. Saffy smiled gratefully and climbed onto Ravardin's back. Saffron noticed, but did not say anything. Ravardin had been carrying Saffy around on his back ever since Saffy was born. She thought they would grow out of it, but now she guessed that they never would. She did not have a problem with it. Saffron was more than happy that her two best friends got along amazingly; it was just that it looked really odd.

"Let's open up, shall we?" Saffron's father called out to her. She nodded obediently and turned to her two Pokémon.

"You guys can go play with the other Pokémon in the pasture."

Ravardin and Saffy showed that they understood and Ravardin swiftly jumped over the wooden fence that outlined the pasture while Saffy held on for dear life. Saffron watched them join the hundreds of other Pokémon that lived on her family's ranch before she headed over to the ranch's main building.

There were three parts to her family's property: their house, the main building (in which all medical supplies were kept, Pokémon slept, customers were looked after and where Pokémon eggs were laid and hatched), and the huge, green pasture which included a large pond for the water Pokémon. Saffron mainly took care of the customers, but she also had a couple of Pokémon that were hers to care for. It was her father that mainly looked after all of the Pokémon, though, and her mother helped by nursing the sick Pokémon and making Pokémon food for each species.

Saffron climbed the steps to the main building, took out a ring of keys she always carried around in her small aqua-blue rucksack and unlocked the two glass sliding doors. The air inside was a little dry from all the windows being closed for the night and the first thing Saffron did was make the front room airy. Afterwards she wiped all surfaces and vacuumed the green rug in the center of the wood floor. Once the room was presentable, she set up the blue computer and red cash register and placed a bold sign reading "OPEN" outside next to the doors.

"You ready, honey?" Her mother walked up from behind her and stared proudly at the open sign.

"Yep. Is Dad?" Saffron looked at her mother's glowing face.

"Yes. He fed them, including your bunch, earlier this morning and he just finished getting the rest of the diurnal Pokémon out into the pasture," her mother answered and entered the building after examining the sign.

"What about the eggs?" Saffron followed in after her.

"He's looking after them as we speak."

Saffron watched as her mother went around the room and fluffed all the pillows to the sofas and chairs that lined the walls.

"Quit being such a perfectionist!" Saffron grabbed her mother by the arm and dragged her through a door in the back that led to the area where the Pokémon were kept at night and when the weather was bad.

"Sorry," her mother apologized, embarrassed.

"Are there any special orders coming in today?" Saffron stopped and released her mother.

"Special?" her mother repeated.

"Yes. Like, ones for any Pokémon Centers or Labs?"

"Uh..." Saffron's mother put a finger on her chin as she tried to remember. "No, I don't think so."

"Professor Elm hasn't called at all?"

"Nope. He hasn't in a while. He must be content with his research."

Saffron felt somewhat disappointed. She loved taking ordered Pokémon to other towns and sometimes even other regions.

"All right. I better get to the front counter." Saffron forced a smile and left her mother to her work.

Saffron sluggishly pushed open the thin wooden door and re-entered the front room. No customers were there waiting for her. She glanced up at the clock that was hung just above the entrance. It was ten o' seven.

_The day has just started._ Saffron sighed. She now knew today would be like all the others – she would deal with customers, taking their orders for which of their Pokémon they would like to breed together or for which Pokémon pairs on the ranch they would like to produce offspring for them. She would reassure them that all the Pokémon on the ranch were bred to be almost perfect or that they were caught in top form. Or they would come and pick up an egg or baby Pokémon that they had previously ordered and compliment on how gorgeous that Pokémon appeared or complain about how weak and pathetic it looked (which happened very rarely); Saffron's family, of course, owned the only Pokémon ranch in the entire Johto region.

Saffron took her place behind the counter and next to the computer and cash register. She did not mind all that much, but she did not really want to be a cashier. Her dream was to be an amazing Pokémon breeder and she knew that she would never achieve this if she was to only deal with humans all day long. The only interaction she had with the ranch Pokémon was with the ones that she was assigned to, which was only a small percentage of the Pokémon that resided on the ranch. If she were to gain experience as a breeder she would have to deal with all kinds of Pokémon and face the challenges that came with running a ranch. But Saffron kept forgetting that she was only sixteen and in the eyes of her parents that was too young to give such big responsibilities.

The glass sliding doors slid open and a snobby-looking lady wearing a purple dress and dark sunglasses walked in.

"Welcome to Windflower Ranch," Saffron greeted politely with her rehearsed business smile.

"Hello. I have come to pick up my lovely new Pokémon." The lady stopped at the counter and towered over her. Saffron tried her best not to shrink away at the lady's intimidating aura.

"All right. Can I have your name, please?" Saffron pulled up a form on the computer.

"Margret Lawson," the lady spoke, leaning over to peep at the computer screen.

"Okay." Saffron typed in the woman's name into the computer uncomfortably. "Ah. You're picking up a male newborn Meowth?"

"That's right," the lady sneered as she scratched her chin with a long and sharp, red fingernail.

"One moment please." Saffron locked the computer (she did not trust this woman at all) and headed to a room in the back of the building. She opened another door and entered the Nursery.

"A male Meowth... A male Meowth..." She repeated to herself. Her eyes darted over all the newborns that were playing peacefully with safe toys and other newborns and she spotted a small, fluffy Meowth.

"There you are, love," Saffron said softly to the young Meowth. She carefully scooped it up in her arms and giggled as it snuggled playfully into her chest. By the feel of his weight, he must have been only a few days old. Saffron rushed back to the waiting, creepy lady.

"Here you are, Miss." Saffron handed over the purring fuzzball to Margret Lawson, who squealed in a high pitch voice once she got a good look of him.

"Oh, it's so darling!" She rubbed her face into the Meowth's cheeks, causing him to purr louder. "You're coming home with Mommy!" And with that, she scurried out the doors.

"You're welcome," Saffron grunted, grateful that customers paid when they made an order.

Another hour came and went, and so did another seven customers. A newborn Machop, Goldeen, Shroomish, Growlithe and Seal were given to new owners, as well as one Magikarp and one Geodude egg. Saffron was delighted to bring joy to both people and Pokémon by uniting the two, but she needed a little more excitement than that. Fortunately, when the doors sliding open caught her attention she saw her two childhood friends: Kit and Elliot.

"Hello, Elliot. Hello, _Katherine_," Saffron greeted teasingly.

"Stop calling me that! You know it bugs me!" Kit leaned onto the counter, giving Saffron a huge, pouty look with her lavender eyes.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Saffron said as she smiled widely.

"How's business?" Elliot asked seriously as he joined Kit in leaning on the counter.

"Fine, but if you keep on hogging the counter it won't remain fine for long."

"We'll get out of the way when someone comes," he told her nonchalantly. Saffron always knew Elliot to be cool and collected – except for maybe when he was watching a Pokémon battle, then he was really rowdy and loud.

"Hey, Saff, will you come with me to see Professor Elm after your shift?" Kit asked, her voice growing quiet and hopeful like it always did when she wanted something from someone.

"Yeah, sure. Finally getting your first Pokémon?" Saffron questioned smugly. Kit slightly nodded, embarrassed to admit it.

"It's about time! Even little kids have Pokémon now; you're sixteen and still Pokémon-less," Elliot scoffed.

"Who are you to talk? You don't have one either," Kit hissed back at him.

"Wrong!" Elliot puffed out his chest proudly. "I got one this morning. Mum just returned from Hoenn and caught a Treecko for me while she was there."

"No way!" Kit gasped.

"Let's see it!" Saffron insisted eagerly. Elliot grinned at the two girls and withdrew a Poké Ball from his beige satchel.

"Come out, Jaden!" He spoke to the Poké Ball as he directed a red light that came from within it at the counter. The red light disappeared, leaving a green, calm Treecko in its stead.

"Wow!" Saffron stared at it with her mouth slightly dropped open. She rarely saw any Pokémon from the Hoenn region.

"You named it Jaden?" Kit stared at it, clearly unamused.

"Not _it_, _him_. And yes I did. It suits him." Elliot gazed upon his Treecko with pride and affection.

"Well, my first Pokémon is going to be a thousand times cuter than that thing," Kit exclaimed. "Just you wait and see."

Elliot and Saffron looked at each other and exchanged looks. They both seemed to think that Kit was a bit ahead of herself.

"Whatever. You can't find a Pokémon as cool as Jaden." Elliot stuck out his arm to his Treecko and he crawled up to his shoulder, where he sat comfortably. Saffron did not say anything, but she thought that Ravardin was one of the coolest Pokémon she had ever met – and for more reasons than one. Apparently, Kit was thinking the same thing.

"I dunno, Elliot. Saff's Umbreon is pretty cool. He's a shiny Pokémon and when he gets angry he –"

"Stop, Kit." Saffron stared at her sternly. "Please."

Kit flinched and looked to Elliot for comfort, but he was staring hard at the ground to avoid the topic.

"I'm sorry, Saff," Kit said quietly and timidly.

"It's all right. I just don't want to talk about it in a public place, even if no one's here right now." Saffron tried to smile at Kit to lighten the mood, but it came out weak and sad.

"We should go and let you do your work," Elliot said. He pushed his spiky, midnight-blue hair away from his Treecko and turned away.

"Yeah. We'll come back after your shift." Kit nervously fixed her pink, cloth headband and followed Elliot out the door.

Saffron watched them leave, sad to see them go, but also relieved. She was not in the mood to speak about Ravardin's strange condition – or her own.


End file.
